The Name Game

Last week in my cleaning out frenzy, I threw out most of the baby bottles. It was one more little reminder of my acceptance that the baby stage is probably over in this house. As I've said before, I'm surprisingly alright with this and David and I both agree we have a good balance right now.
I have to admit it really does make me feel old when I think that my pregnancy days are behind me. However, when I think of never going through labor and delivery again, "easy" as it was, I feel a huge sense of accomplishment and relief.
There is still one problem. I still have more names to give out. I LOVE to choose baby names. I never had an Owen, Jonah, or Isaiah. My next daughter would maybe be Rachel or Reagan, although I'm sure David would probably win out on his choices of Allison or Erika. (He's been lobbying for those since #1.)
I am wondering if there is such a job that people would pay me to come up with a list of name combinations for their future children. Or, maybe I could get a job in the Cabbage Patch and name those babies as they are brought out of the garden.
I always kind of feel like babies name themselves. All of a sudden a name clicks and just feels right. (I always make sure it clicks before the birth.)
Landen was going to be Nathan until I was about six months along and I saw the name Landen spelled with an e. Prior to that, I liked the sound of the name, but it looked like a last name to me. I mentioned it to David for a boy's name and it was set. (The downside to the alternate spelling is that it requires some correction now and again, which I always hesitate to do. Now that he can spell his name himself, however, he usually takes care of that on his own and knows how to change an o to an e on most everything.)
When we found out that we were having a second baby boy, we chose Nathan. I had bought a new baby name book by then and found out this name meant "Gift from God."
Then there was Teresa. I spent many an evening huddled over the baby name book looking for the perfect girl's name. We had decided on Isaiah John for a boy, until just a few days before and then it was changed to Drew with a middle name never determined. I already have a cousin named Allison, who was born a few weeks after Landen, and--no offense to any Erika's out there--I like the name, but not enough to give it to my only daughter. We had discussed Katherine, but weren't quite sure. Then, once night after coming up short on the O, P, Q, R, and S names, I turned the page of the baby book and there was Teresa at the top. I asked my husband (who really doesn't get all that excited about the naming process) and he said, "Teresa Melius. I like that." I told him he could choose the spelling since I see it both ways. He chose without the "H" to keep it simple. (How ironic that most people automatically spell it with the "Th." And, so, I am left to uncomfortably correct people's spelling for another couple years when she learns to spell her name.)
On the Sunday before her Wednesday birth, we asked the boys what they thought about our name choices. Landen would not even discuss a brother's name since he was sure it was going to be a Teresa. Nathan voted for "Rhinoceros," but we politely disregarded his suggestion.
The other night I mentioned to David my desire to just name more offspring. He told me to name the cats.
I tried, but Melting Snowbank just doesn't look like an Owen.